


The Future's Open Wide

by accol



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Kiss, M/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-09
Updated: 2012-03-09
Packaged: 2017-11-01 17:23:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/359379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accol/pseuds/accol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Valley Girl</i> AU. Nate’s cool. Brad’s hot. One’s from the Valley. The other’s not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nomorerippedfuel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nomorerippedfuel/gifts).



> Based on fictionalized portrayals of characters in _Generation Kill_. Title from “I Melt With You” by Modern English.

  


“Dude! We’re going,” Ray said to the kid with the ridiculous popped collar, crocodile polo shirt. “No need to get your little pink panties in a bunch.”

Brad and Ray darted away down the sidewalk after that little gem because tonight’s plan didn’t include getting in a fistfight in the Valley with a bunch of drunk preps. Ray had dragged Brad out here on the premise of liberating rich kids of their beers and maybe even scoring with a couple of their cute boys.

****

“Mingle. Blend in,” Ray had said, however that was supposed to work. People were looking at them like they were freaks. Brad could accept his freakishness -- it was part of his considerable charm -- but he wasn’t thrilled about hanging around a crowd of judgmental pricks with weird food and ten word vocabularies.

“I told you this place was going to be a total waste,” Brad said after watching Ray strike out for the second time with this blond kid. Brad’s timing couldn’t have been more ironic though. Standing right there, not five feet away from him and smiling, was the ridiculously hot guy from the beach this afternoon. He was definitely looking at Brad, long eyelashes low over his intensely green eyes. “Or not.”

“Who? Which one?” Ray asked.

The hot guy’s friend bailed as soon as hot guy smiled at Brad. Brad said, “Yours is getting away, Ray. He winked.”

“He did?” Ray was trailing after the blond kid in an instant.

Brad felt weirdly nervous as he walked over. He never got nervous. Ray implied more often than necessary that Brad was famous for it in certain circles. Never afraid of the big waves, the fast bikes, the loudest music. But right now, he finally understood what ‘butterflies in my stomach’ meant. Brad was being reeled in by this guy, and all Brad could think about was how gorgeous he was and how much it would blow if he wasn’t interested.

“Who invited you?” The hot guy teased, plucking at Brad’s Plimsouls t-shirt.

“Oh, is that how this kind of thing works?” Brad asked dryly. “If I’d gotten an invitation I’d have known it was a costume party. That explains why everyone is dressed so weird.”

Nate smiled broadly and stepped a little closer. His eyes ran down Brad’s body. Brad’s stomach fluttered again. His mouth felt dry.

“I saw you once before, you know,” Brad said quietly.

“You did not. Where?” Nate’s eyes were so fucking green.

“The beach.”

“That was you with the surfboard today?”

Brad smiled and nodded. “Guilty.”

“I didn’t think punks, like, surfed. Aren’t you supposed to be all pale and stuff?” Nate’s hands found the placket of Brad’s vest and pulled him a little closer.  He was teasing.  The twinkle in his eye gave him away, and Brad kind of loved it.

“I’m full of surprises.”

Brad’s hands found Nate’s hips and it was beyond electric.

****

Brad looked back toward the houseparty after the cro-magnons that kicked them out went back inside. “That guy Nate is truly amazing, man.”

“Yeah, but he’s not one of ours, homes,” Ray replied, turning Brad by the shoulders and pushing him toward the car. Brad resisted.

“I’m going back,” Brad said, reversing direction and crossing the neighbors’ well-manicured front yard and readying himself to jump the fence into the backyard.

“Brad! Homes! Wait! You really are going to ask him out? He’s a _Valley guy_ , homes,” Ray sneered like the words disgusted him despite being the one who insisted they come here. “And those dudes are going to try to beat the shit out of you if they see you in there.”

Brad stopped midstride and eyeballed Ray. “No one is going tell me who I can score with, Ray. I want this guy, and he wants me. So, fuck it. Fuck them. I’m going back.”

“I’m not too enthused about getting my ass kicked--”

“His blond friend was cute.”

“Very good point. Let’s go,” Ray said.

****

“Like, so totally gross, Nate,” Walt said. “Did you see his vest? It was like so... gag me with a spoon.”

“Walt, come on. He’s cool. Like, really interesting to talk to,” Nate said. “And did you see that bod?”

“Whatever. His friend was grody too.”

Nate smiled. “He was totally into you, though.”

“Barf!”

Nate laughed at Walt’s horror. “Let’s get another beer so you can think about him some more.”

“What is your damage, Nate? I mean, seriously,” Walt said, but he bumped Nate’s shoulder with his and smiled.  "It's like breaking up with Craig broke your brain."

Halfway down the hallway, two sets of hands reached in through the door to the garage and yanked Nate and Walt into the darkness.

“Hey,” Brad said, pulling Nate close.

“Hey,” Nate said, sliding his hands into Brad’s back pockets in the dim light. “I thought you left.” Nate felt that buzz of heat and nervousness in his chest. Brad was firm muscle everywhere that Nate dared to think about.

“I’m persistent.”

“You’re totally going to get in deep shit if my friends find you here,” Nate said. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“I thought it was worth the chance.”

Nate stopped breathing for a second. Brad’s smile was practically electric and was totally genuine. Just a little bit goofy with a tiny overbite, and Nate felt a surge of want. Brad still smelled faintly of the ocean, where Nate had first seen him earlier today coming out of the surf with his board under one arm and his sky blue eyes locked with Nate’s.

When Brad had come in through the front door of Tim Bryan’s house tonight, it was a total rush. He wasn’t just a (really frickin’ gorgeous) guy in a wetsuit now. (At the beach, Mike had even said, “Nice pecs,” when Brad had come out of the water and Mike was _way_ picky about guys.) Now Brad had his hair all spiky and was wearing a totally badass leather vest and these ripped up jeans that were so tight over his ass that Nate felt himself blush. Brad didn’t fit in here at all, and Nate really, really, really wanted him; like, this can’t be normal amounts of liking someone.

If Craig hadn’t been so epically lame, kicking Brad and his friend out, Nate would probably already be halfway to Hollywood. God, it was stupid that Nate had even been dating Craig anyway. It was only because they’d known each other since elementary school and now he was the football captain and Nate sorta had to date him for popularity reasons even though Craig was dumber than a box of rocks. They all had the same friends, so there was that too. Really, though, they’d barely done more than hold hands. Plus, Nate had a strong suspicion that Craig was hooking up with Ray Griego on the side. Totally juvenile. They could totally have each other. Nate was good right here.

Brad studied Nate’s face, raising a hand to brush a strand of Nate’s hair off his forehead.  Nate felt like he might be floating.  He leaned closer, tipping his head slightly.  Brad did the same.

“Get off me! Gross to the max!” Walt said nearby in the dark, interrupting the moment.

“But I’m so awesome,” Ray said.

Brad smiled and whispered in Nate’s ear, “Come with me. Let’s get out of here.”

Nate slipped his hands deeper into Brad’s back pockets. “Where are we going to go?”

“Anywhere.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Anything.”

Nate pulled the corner of his lip into his mouth and looked into Brad’s eyes. “Yes,” Nate said with no more hesitation. “Walt, you are coming too.”

“Nate! Come on!” Walt hissed. Walt dragged Nate out of Brad’s arms and back to the door to the house. “These guys are from Hollywood. I mean, like, _Hollywood_. You can’t just, like--”

“We’re going,” Nate said firmly.

Walt was obviously annoyed and clicked his tongue. “That Ray guy keeps trying to feel me up. I’m so sure!”

Nate shrugged and reached for Brad’s hand, completely unable to look away from his electric blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Brad basically had the world’s bitchinest convertible. Nate ran his hand up the hood as Brad walked him backwards to the passenger side. Brad’s eyes followed Nate’s hand as it skimmed over the car. He had a few fingers through Nate’s belt loops like Nate might run away if he didn’t hold on tight.

_As if._

Nate was fascinated when Brad’s pupils dilated in the weak light from the streetlamp, the opposite of what they should have done. Brad’s hands tightened on Nate’s hips. His eyes slowly came up Nate’s arm, flicking to Nate’s lips and then to Nate’s eyes. A shiver ran up Nate’s spine; his eyes were probably blown wide just like Brad’s.

Craig had never once made him feel like this. Like, not even close.

“Where’d you get a car so nice?” Nate asked, his voice cracking a little.

“Some of us have jobs,” Brad said, pressing in close.

“I have a job, you know.” Nate’s voice came out in a whisper.

“So not all the kids up here get everything from Mommy and Daddy?”

Nate blushed. “Hey now--”

“He works at his parents’ health food store,” Walt interjected as Ray was urging him into the backseat.

“Walt! Shut up!” Nate glared at Walt. Walt stuck out his tongue and then cringed a little bit as Ray slid an arm around his shoulders. Nate turned back to Brad and said, “It’s so lame though. I want to get a job working for our senator. That would be so much cooler.” Nate snapped his mouth shut. Brad’s eyebrow had risen and Nate realize that didn’t sound cool either.

Brad leaned in closer and whispered, “I won’t hold that idealistic hippie bullshit against you, Nate.”

****

They drove in to the city. Nate sat up front with Brad, while Ray totally kept trying to cop a feel on Walt in the back. Nate linked his pinkie finger with Brad’s on the seat between them. He bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn’t smile like a complete and total idiot and watched the neon go by.

“This is my home away from home,” Brad said when they got to _Company B_. The music thudded loudly even on the sidewalk.

Walt’s eyes were wide as he goggled at the people loitering around the club’s door. Ray tried to put an arm around his waist, but Walt squirmed out of his grip. Ray smirked, though, because Walt seemed a whole lot less grossed out than he had an hour ago in Tim’s garage.

Inside, a band was playing weird music. There were a lot of guys there with other guys... like totally WITH THEM, carnally, right on the dancefloor. The girls, Nate realized, were guys too. Nate blushed in the dim light because all of this was way different than the Valley. Everyone at home was so... normal. And fully clothed.

Nate leaned close to Brad and said over the music, “Home away from home? Like, for real?”

Brad put an arm around Nate’s waist. “Come dance with me.”

For a split second Nate felt nervous, but then Brad’s fingers laced with his. “Yeah, ok,” Nate smiled.

****

The dancefloor was crowded and they were pressed tightly together. Brad felt like he was on fire. Every time Nate moved, Brad knew he was going to go insane wanting this guy. Everything about him was so fucking compelling. He looked like some kind of angel, squeaky clean and genuine in this sea of overprocessed queens and sweaty queers.

“When can I see you again?” Brad blurted out after about five minutes of dancing.

Nate smiled. “Most people wait until the end of the night to ask that kind of thing, Brad.”

“I can’t help it. It’s the way I feel,” Brad said. Internally, he was smacking himself on the forehead. Brad Colbert just saying his feelings like this was not normal. His chest fluttered.

Nate looked surprised, but happy. “Like, I’m here with you now.”

“I know.”

Brad palmed Nate’s cheek, drawing his thumb softly across Nate’s lower lip.

“I know,” Brad said again.

Nate gasped. Even with the music vibrating through them, Brad could still feel Nate’s inhale in their embrace. Brad forgot to keep dancing after that, not with Nate’s hands sliding up his back and then down again, in half-time to the music. Not with Nate’s fingers slipping under the hem of Brad’s t-shirt and finding skin. Brad thought he might incinerate right here; die a very complete, very happy death in Nate’s arms.

And they hadn’t even kissed yet. With that thought, Brad drew his thumb across Nate’s lips again. Nate grabbed Brad’s wrist, holding him still and kissed his thumb. The whole time, Nate looked him straight in the eyes. This time it was Brad who gasped, and the corners of Nate’s mouth curled up into a smile.

Brad was so fucking surprised at how intense their connection felt in just a few hours. He wanted this night to go on forever, just like this. He’d forgotten about Ray, about the Valley, about how they shouldn’t really be this into each other so fast.

It was like Nate could read all of that right from Brad’s eyes. Nate leaned closer, paused, and then went for it. Finally they were kissing, and it might as well have been just the two of them in _Company B_. Everyone else disappeared. It was only Nate.

By the time Nate’s friend Walt tapped him on the shoulder and rolled his eyes, Brad’s cheeks ached from smiling.

****

“Ray!” Walt whined.

“Walt!” Ray teased, chasing him around the car.

“God! You are too weird.”

“My little pickle. My homemade cookie. My Chef Boyardee,” Ray said.

Walt had stopped running and was leaning on the hood of the car. “Like, you are so embarrassing.”

“You’re so cute.”

“Ray.” But Walt didn’t try to run away, and he let Ray kiss him.

****

At the overlook, Nate and Brad totally ignored Walt and Ray. Nate straddled Brad’s lap and kissed him breathless. The lights of LA were spread out beneath them.

“When can I see you again,” Brad asked again.

Nate smiled and nuzzled against Brad’s neck. “Does that mean the night is, like, almost over?”

“Only if you want it to be,” Brad said.

“No way,” Nate said. Their noses bumped together. “I definitely don’t want this to be over.”

“Me either.” Brad pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt and kissed him softly. “But when?”

Nate pulled back and sighed. “Brad, seriously though. None of my friends have ever dated someone from outside of school before,” Nate replied. “You and me--”

“So? You can be the first one.”

“You think it’s so easy. Being different, I mean.”

Brad shrugged. “It is. Plus, you are already.”

“I’m not!”

“I wouldn’t like you so much if you weren’t.”

****

Nate opened his front door the next day and there was Brad leaning against the wall, wearing his sunglasses, and looking too cool. Nate smiled.

“Hey,” Brad said. “You never said when I could see you again. I couldn’t stay away.”

Nate huffed a laugh. “Come on, Brad. Be serious.”

“Go surfing with me.” Brad took off his sunglasses and held out his hand. His blue eyes were like kryptonite to Nate.

“Yeah,” Nate said, taking his hand. “I know you’re totally just trying to see me without my shirt.”

“You forgot wet,” Brad teased, tugging Nate toward his car.

“Wait, I have to get my suit.” Nate laughed and gently struggled. Brad pulled him into a hug and planted a mindblowing kiss on him.

Brad shoved Nate into the passenger seat with a laugh.

“I’m, like, not going to surf naked, Brad,” Nate protested weakly.

Brad just smiled broadly and started the car.

****

“It’s tofu. Just try it. It’s totally good for you and the sauce makes it edible. I promise,” Nate said, handing him some chopsticks. Brad picked up a fork instead.

“Eating this stuff has to be why you are so weird up here in the Valley.” Brad sniffed his fork and made a face. “You are what you eat.”

“Don’t be a complete baby. It’s one of the most popular things on the menu. Plus, My dad made it.”

“Fine,” Brad said grumpily and took a bite. “I’m only doing this because I’m so fucking polite.”

Nate laughed. His dad chose that exact moment to come out of the kitchen.

“How do you like it?” he asked. “Good stuff, right?”

Brad just about choked, but he tried to smile and nodded with his mouth full. He didn’t really like the food, but he liked Nate more than a lot.

****

Brad was, as usual when around Nate, hugely out of place. He slouched in the auditorium seat.

Nate finally came on stage with the rest of his debate team, and they proceeded to kick the other team’s asses roundly. Mostly Nate did the ass-kicking. It was actually incredible.

“That was really cool, Nate.”

“Thanks,” Nate smiled.

“You’re really serious about this politics thing.”

“Yeah. I guess I am.”

“You know your accent went away when you were up there,” Brad teased.

“It did not,” Nate protested.

“Like, totally,” Brad teased more. “I like smart people. I just didn’t think I’d find any out here in the Valley,” Brad teased.

“I’m so sure!” Nate pulled Brad into a soft kiss.

****

The music was super loud. Like, painfully. Nate realized he was sort of clinging to Brad’s arm like it’d somehow rescue his ears from the onslaught. Brad looked over and grinned with excitement. His whole body seemed to be vibrating with crazy amounts of joy for the music. It made Nate smile. He pretty much was always smiling around Brad.

Brad sang loudly along with the band. It was ridiculous and totally cute. Under the punk exterior, Brad was basically a dork. Nate loved that.

He turned Brad’s face toward him and french kissed him right in the middle of the crowd. Brad wrapped him up in a rib-crushing hug. He kissed Nate back until they started getting heckled by the rest of the crowd.

Brad was so wired and Nate was totally euphoric. Nate even let Brad cop a feel. Maybe Nate did too.


	3. Chapter 3

Tim, Mike, Lilley, and Walt came over to Nate’s house to play his Atari. Nate’s mom had made them some kind of weird yogurt-avocado-gag-me thing, but Nate had bags of Doritos hidden in the basement. _Always be prepared_ was, like, so true.  
  
“Yo, we’ve barely seen you around,” Lilley said, ripping into the bag of chips.  
  
“He’s been totally spending all of his free time sucking face with that dude from Hollywood,” Walt said. Nate could hear the bitterness in Walt’s voice.  
  
“His name is Brad and he’s not just some dude,” Nate said. He couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face. “He’s super cool.”  
  
“Lame,” Tim said.  
  
“He’s not lame, Tim.”  
  
“Lame,” Tim said again. “I call it like I see it.”  
  
“You’re lame,” Nate said.  
  
“I nominated you for class rep, and you’re just flushing that down the shitter,” Mike said.  
  
“No you didn’t,” Nate said.  
  
“I did. But that Brad guy is totally going to ruin your rep,” Mike replied.  
  
Nate was quiet, grabbing more sodas from the fridge instead of talking about this more. He did actually want to be class rep. It would really help him get into college. But it was beyond ridiculous that dating Brad was going to make people not want to vote for him.  
  
“Anyway, I heard that all the smog down there in Hollyweird makes dudes have tiny dicks,” Lilley said.  
  
“What would you even know about that?” Walt asked.  
  
“I know enough,” Lilley said, jamming some more chips in his mouth.  
  
“As if,” Tim said.  
  
Lilley chucked some chips at him.  
  
Nate was seriously torn. Maybe they were right about the popularity thing. He’d known these guys since they were all kids, and it would royally suck if they bailed on him. Nate popped open his soda and quietly kicked their asses in _Space Invaders_.  
  
****  
  
Nate avoided Brad’s phone calls the next day. He went to the library after school and finished his history paper a week early just to do something other than think about Brad.  
  
In bed, he just stared at the ceiling trying to figure out what to do. This totally sucked, to have to choose between his friends and Brad.  
  
****  
  
Brad pulled up in front of Nate’s house and took a deep breath. He exhaled into his hand to check his breath. He looked in the rearview and ran a hand through his hair. They were going so good together. Brad was thinking that this could be the night...  
  
Nate opened the front door only a couple of inches. His face was totally closed off. Brad’s stomach lurched.  
  
“Hey,” Brad said softly, testing the waters. “Are you ok? Come out with me. I was thinking we could--”  
  
“You need to leave, Brad. This isn’t going to work,” Nate said, getting straight to the awful point. Craig’s ID bracelet was already back on Nate’s wrist and the porch light flashed off it like a fucking beacon of betrayal.  
  
Brad stood ramrod straight. “What’s not going to work? Your fucking snobby friends?” Brad was getting pissed. Zero-to-sixty enraged, and he never lost control like this.  
  
Nate shook his head and looked desolate. “Please don’t make me choose. I’m, like, trying to have some loyalty here.”  
  
“Loyalty? You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me right now. You fucking have on his bracelet before you even talked to me!” Brad turned back to his car. “Fuck you, Nate. Like, totally, for sure.”  
  
****  
  
Nate slept maybe a half hour all night. He felt like a royal asshole, but he didn’t know what else to do.  
  
****  
  
Brad drove like a bat out of hell back to Hollywood. He grabbed the closest bottle off his mom’s liquor shelf and chugged most of it on his way over to _Company B_. Brad barely noticed Kocher was working the door.  
  
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Brad, what the fuck is up with you?”  
  
“Let me in there, Kocher.”  
  
Kocher shook his head, grabbing Brad by the arms and looking hard into his face. “Where is your boy?”  
  
“I don’t have a fucking boyfriend. Let me in.”  
  
“Don’t do anything stupid in there,” Kocher sighed, reluctantly letting him inside.  
  
As soon as he stumbled through the door, his ex was pushing him against a wall and mouthing along his neck. He was whispering some bullshit about knowing that “the twinky prep” wasn’t going to last long. About how he could help make Brad forget.  
  
Brad kissed him just so he’d fucking stop talking about Nate. Brad didn’t want to think about Nate.  
  
Afterward, Brad felt more bitter and empty than before. And definitely more drunk. He felt in his pocket. A dime slid between his fingers.  
  
“NATE?” Brad yelled into the phone over the sound of the music.  
  
“Brad, what do you want? It’s really late--”  
  
“I want to tell you that I’m moving on.”  
  
Brad’s ex leaned over his shoulder and added fuel to the fire. “He’s back with someone who actually knows what he wants.”  
  
Brad shoved his ex backward and hung up the phone. It missed the cradle and just hung by the cord as Brad stumbled out of the club.  
  
****  
  
Ray picked up a drunk-as-fuck Brad off the sidewalk and shoved him against the brick wall in the alley. “What the fuck is going on, Brad. Kocher dragged me out here to get you. Crying over some Valley guy who doesn’t know which end of his dick is up?”  
  
“Fuck you,” Brad slurred. “Just leave me here.”  
  
“I’m not leaving you here. Don’t be a dumbass.”  
  
“Better yet, just punch me in the face. Make me forget him,” Brad said. Fuck, here come the stupid drunk emotions.  
  
“What, and damage Brad Colbert’s stupidly attractive face? You really have lost your mind.”  
  
Brad slumped to the ground. “Come on, Ray. I just want to be alone. Just leave me here.”  
  
“You do not know what you’re talking about, homes. First of all, people beg for the pleasure of my company.”  
  
Brad snorted. He might throw up.  
  
“Second, seriously dude. If you like this guy so much that you’re gonna pass out dead drunk in a filthy-ass alley over it, you need to make an effort on this one.”  
  
“I made a fucking effort! He just threw it back in my face!”  
  
“And then you got shitfaced, hooked up with someone else, and called Nate to rub it in his face. Not the smoothest of moves, Brad.”  
  
“Fuck,” Brad moaned.  
  
“Let’s go get you sober so you can start convincing him he has his head up his ass.”  
  
****  
  
Brad groaned when the sun hit him across the face a couple of hours later. His mouth tasted like he’d licked the bottom of the dumpster in the alley last night. His sheets were all damp from sweating out the booze, and he stank. He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head. Brad Colbert didn’t wallow, but apparently there was a first for everything. He gave himself ten minutes.  
  
Brad was highly unlikely to tell Ray that he was right. But this time Ray was right. Brad should -- and would -- fight for this one. He really liked Nate, and he absolutely knew Nate liked him.  
  
Step one: Sleep off this fucking horrible hangover.  
  
****  
  
Word spread fast at school that Nate and Craig were back together. Nate put on a good face and let Craig put his arm around him at lunch even though it kind of turned Nate’s stomach a little. And Ray Griego kept giving him dirty looks.  
  
Class rep elections were that afternoon and Nate won in a landslide. It all left a gross taste in his mouth. It felt like selling Brad out just for a moment in the spotlight.  
  
Everyone else went out for burgers after school, but Nate went back to the library by himself. He finished the chemistry lab report he’d been avoiding. Even that was way preferable to being around other people right now.  
  
****  
  
Step two: Take a fucking shower.  
  
Substep: Ignore phone call from ex. Consider taking another shower to get the memory of that epically moronic move off skin.  
  
****  
  
It was Friday, and Walt was staying over at Nate’s place.  
  
“I totally knew you’d win class rep,” Walt said, cracking open a soda. “You’re obviously the smartest guy in school.”  
  
Nate gave him a weak smile. “Not so smart sometimes.”  
  
“Come on! It’s better this way.”  
  
“Yeah,” Nate said noncommittally. “At least this probably means you won’t have to see that dude Ray again.”  
  
They looked at each other blankly for a few seconds and then doubled over laughing.  
  
Walt wiped his eyes. “I dunno. I guess he was kinda cute, in a gross kind of way.”  
  
Nate laughed again, wiping his own tears out of his eyes.  
  
The doorbell rang. Nate was still laughing when he opened the door. No one was there, but a note was tucked under the edge of the doormat.

_I am really sorry about the phone call. Let me ~~explain~~ apologize. I’m not going to give up on this. -- Brad_

His heart was in his throat. Nate looked out into the darkness past the porch light, but he couldn’t see anyone anywhere. Absently he brought the note to his mouth, wishing he could inhale Brad’s scent off of it.

****

On Sunday, they all went to a movie. Brad had somehow gotten his hands on one of those lame red vests that the ushers wear. Here he was pretending to work here and he took Craig’s ticket.

“Don’t they have any jobs in Hollywood,” Craig said. Nate slipped out from under Craig’s arm and tried not to have his mouth drop open that Brad was actually here just to see him.

“The scenery up here is better,” Brad said, looking directly at Nate. Nate blushed and averted his eyes. The ache in Nate’s chest over that really crappy phone call hadn’t gone away. Neither did the knowledge that Brad was actually doing something about this, and Nate was just sitting next to a dumb guy that he barely had anything in common with. Nate felt disgusted at himself. Just... no one ever did this kind of thing from the Valley.

The popcorn that night sucked and Nate went straight home afterward. He kind of wished that Brad would be there, even though he wasn’t sure what he’d do if he was.

****

Brad slipped into the auditorium and sat in the back row. Nate kicked serious ass again at the debate match. Brad was in awe of how smart Nate was. He could think on his feet like no one Brad had ever met. Plus, he looked truly exceptional in a suit. Better than those Easter egg-colored polo shirts that were the goddamn uniform up here anyway.

Nate’s suit gave Brad an idea. Actually it gave him several ideas, but only one appropriate for anywhere other than his bedroom with the door closed. He raised his hand to wave at Nate before he slipped back out of the auditorium. Nate smiled.

Brad had a plan to execute.

****

Nate went to the beach the next weekend, hoping he’d see Brad there. Brad kept showing up all over the place. He’d been silently asking to have Nate back, even though Nate had been totally horrible breaking up with Brad like that and just shutting him out. Still, hearing that guy on the phone was seriously the worst thing ever. But, Nate was mature enough to not want this to be a competition over who was more horrible to the other one.

Craig and the guys were playing football in the sand. Nate’s parents had given him a copy of Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States,” so he was laying on his towel reading it. Maybe it was more like distractedly flipping the pages. Mostly Nate scanned the water for signs of Brad on his surfboard.

Later, back at Craig’s car, there was another note tucked under the windshield wiper. Nate saw it as they were walking up and jogged over to get to it before Criag could.

_Red or yellow? Tell me by Saturday. -- Brad_

Nate smiled and shoved the mysterious note in his pocket before Craig could read it. He fended off Craig’s stupid questions, but he couldn’t help the smile that kept sneaking onto his face.

****

Brad leaned against his car across from Nate’s house. He felt like he might be making some progress. It was probably creepy to be following Nate all over southern California, but still. Every time Nate saw Brad, his face would light up. Their connection was there, and Nate was forcing himself to ignore it.

Nate’s curtain opened. He put his lamp in the window and draped a red shirt over it. Brad’s heart beat loud in his ears.

_I’m persistent. But if you tell me no, I’ll back off. If not, see you Saturday. -- Brad_

****

Nate had on his tux and got into the limo with Craig. Things were fine on the outside; kind of back to normal even though Nate just going through the motions. He always was thinking about Brad.

Nate rolled his eyes and looked out the window while Craig drank from his flask and bragged about some football crap to Ray and Dave. The whole way to prom, all Nate thought about was Brad’s note. Was he going to crash prom? Nate suppressed a smile. He wasn’t sure if he wanted that or not.

The limo pulled up to prom and Craig spilled out, half drunk already, completely forgetting about Nate. Back to usual for sure.

“We’re going to the Hilton later,” Nate heard Craig brag to Dave before Nate even had a foot out of the car.

“I’m so sure!” Nate said out loud. As if he was going to a hotel with Craig. There was no way.

But then, right in front of Nate’s door, wearing a totally cheesy blue tuxedo jacket over his ripped jeans, was Brad. He was holding out a red rose boutonniere.

A surprised laugh spilled from Nate’s lips. “Come here,” he smiled, dragging Brad inside the limo.

“Take us, like, anywhere that’s not here,” Nate said to the driver. He slid the partition shut and turned to Brad, one hand still gripping Brad’s lapel. “So, before you start, I’m sorry for breaking up with you like that. It was really crappy. But that phone call was totally shitty, too. I’m supposed to just forgive you or something?”

“I am sorry about everything that night. I shouldn’t have gotten drunk like that. I shouldn’t have kissed him. I _really_ shouldn’t have called you.”

“You think?” Nate laughed.

“I really want you. We have something different. Please, just...” Brad slid closer and put the rose on Nate’s lapel. “I brought a peace offering.”

“I’m totally not forgiving you just because you brought me a flower, Brad.” Nate was smiling. His hand came to rest on Brad’s knee.

Brad pulled a battered old copy of Aristophanes out from under his coat and held it out to Nate.

“You brought me Greek comedies?” Nate looked at Brad and huffed a surprised sigh. “Come on, Brad, be serious.”

“I’m completely serious. You mentioned it during your debate match.”

Nate looked like he’d been punched in the stomach, but in a good way. “Ok, for real. That’s a pretty good apology, Brad.”

“I really like you, Nate,” Brad said. “Like, totally, to the max,” he teased in a fake Valley accent.

Nate stood up through the sunroof and pulled Brad up next to him. Nate smiled and unclasped Craig’s ID bracelet, chucking it into the ditch at the side of the road.

“I’m sorry I was an idiot,” Nate said.

“I’m sorry I was an idiot, too,” Brad said. “You want to go somewhere?”

“Anywhere.”

Brad kissed him, and the future was wide open.


End file.
